In a recent episode of The Building Texas Show, Johnson City Mayor Stephanie Fisher outlined the critical water challenges and economic pressures facing the Hill Country community. The episode, published May 27, 2026, reveals that despite sitting on the Pedernales River, Johnson City cannot use it for drinking water due to infrastructure gaps and regulatory hurdles. Instead, the city relies solely on the Ellenberger Aquifer, a minor aquifer off the Llano Uplift, for its roughly 540 residential single-family water connections.
Fisher explained that the city's water supply is under increasing strain from a short-term rental boom. Of the 540 residential connections, 67 are now Airbnbs, reducing housing availability for locals and driving up property values. The mayor also highlighted a pending pumpage permit increase before the Blanco Pedernales Groundwater Conservation District, noting that previous administrative decisions have complicated negotiations. "There was some previous administrations that made some decisions. I think they put the cart before the horse, and that's causing us to have some questions asked," Fisher said. She expressed appreciation for the district's diligence, stating, "I'm glad that our groundwater district is doing what they need to do to make sure that we all have water forever."
Johnson City holds a permit for 200 acre-feet of Pedernales River water through the Lower Colorado River Authority, but cannot access it without millions in infrastructure investments. The city's capital improvement plan aims to eventually harvest that water, but funding remains a challenge. Meanwhile, the community is looking to tourism as an economic driver. Fisher identified a boutique or resort-style hotel on the river as the single biggest unlock for both housing and tax base, aiming to convert the thousands of vehicles passing through on Highway 290 into overnight visitors.
The episode also touched on existing attractions: the Science Mill, LBJ National Historic Park (including the Texas White House in Stonewall and LBJ's boyhood home), the Old Settlement, the Exotic Resort Zoo, and the annual fair and rodeo weekend. Host Justin McKenzie contrasted Johnson City's situation with 100-year water planning efforts in Midland and Lubbock, emphasizing the vulnerability of Hill Country communities dependent on aquifer recharge in 15-year rainfall cycles.
The full episode is available on YouTube, where listeners can like and subscribe to follow the series. The Building Texas Show, sponsored by Chisos Boots, features conversations with mayors, founders, and operators shaping Texas growth, digging into infrastructure, economic development, tourism, and community identity.
